


Tough Lover

by naturallymorbid



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drag Queens, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Honorifics, Nicknames, Past Abuse, Sex, butcher - Freeform, live in nanny, nanny - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:14:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23865850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naturallymorbid/pseuds/naturallymorbid
Summary: AU. After an attack, Nel becomes nanny to Kenpachi's little girl. When friends from the past invite the makeshift family for a weekend of fun, bonds will be tested and feelings will be acknowledged, unless they are torn apart by outside forces.
Relationships: Nelliel Tu Oderschvank/Zaraki Kenpachi
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted to FF.  
> Been a while since I wrote anything Bleach related. This popped into my head one late night when my sister and I were playing Sims 2. Kenpachi needed a girlfriend, so we picked Nel just as an experiment. Well, it was total success before my motherboard fried and I lost them all. Beside the point, it inspired this odd choice of pairing.  
> Things you should know before:  
> This will be written in a similar formula/style as some of my other stories, which would be like a Harlequin romance type novel, you know lots of angst and lusty type stuff with some plot thrown in :) Light-hearted and not to be taken very seriously.  
> Kenpachi being a butcher is from a friend of mine. I asked him for a job recommendation, this is what we agreed upon, which seems to fit to me.  
> Sorry if anyone is out of character. I've tried really hard to keep them so, but sometimes they change moving them from one world to another.  
> This will take place outside of the Bleach world, so they're pretty much just normal everyday people. I know the prologue is short and probably doesn't reveal much, but I have more written. I just wanted to see how it would go over first. Will be adding a first chapter soon enough.  
> Okay, that's about it.

It had been raining the night he encountered Nel. While returning from his job as a butcher, Kenpachi noticed what seemed to be a good fight. An average sized woman with unusual sea foam colored hair was holding her own against a lanky attacker.

He paused, watching from the shadows of the alleyway. The woman was blocking the man's blows effectively, analyzing where to strike for the most effectiveness. He had to envy her fighting style slightly. Instead of just overpowering her opponent, she aimed for the most debilitating parts to end the fight.

Her gangly oppressor chattered the whole time, while she never said a word unless it was necessary. It quickly became obvious that she was the clear victor. Kenpachi knew it from the sidelines; the woman knew it, heck probably even the hobo down the street knew gangly was going to lose. After another strike or two, the woman stopped fighting, watching her opponent with pity.

"I can't continue to fight you," she told him, her voice serious and quiet. "It would not be fair."

The young woman's opponent was badly wounded. Kenpachi was sure that he would need medical attention. He had warmed a little more to her, once he realized they had something in common. She was ending the fight when her opponent had clearly lost. It was pointless to further his injuries when she was the victor, a philosophy he lived by as well.

"I am sorry Nnoitra, for your humiliation," she told him, watching him with a mercy that was usually only wasted on sick and dying animals. It seemed the young man had learned his lesson well enough to know when it was time to give up. He lay panting on the sidewalk, head bowed in shame. "Goodbye."

Then the lanky young man did something Kenpachi despised. The gangly one managed to retrieve a hidden blade from somewhere on his person. Faster than Kenpachi would have thought, Nnoitra had pulled himself up off the sidewalk and was ambushed her from behind.

It took Kenpachi too long to warn the young woman who had turned to walk away. He managed a cry of "Hey!" as he stepped into the street with them. Both victim and attacker were so surprised to see him that what happened next ended up being something for which he took all the blame.

Kenpachi watched in horror as the blade came down on her face, splitting her forehead to her nose. Nnoitra also managed to swipe the knife across her abdomen. He rolled to a spot further away, laughing. He landed badly on an already injured shoulder, and did not rise again.

Before he knew it, Kenpachi's feet were carrying him swiftly to her aid. She was so surprised, but he had to admire the fact she didn't scream or cry. She didn't even collapse right away. Instead, she sunk to her knees, eyes wide.

Kenpachi had seen that look before, the devastating mix of shock and self-loathing for doing something stupid. He would have turned his back though, as it had seemed to be an honorable fight. Gangly was the one being a sore loser. Kenpachi wanted to knock his head in.

"Hey, girl, are you alive?" he asked her, gingerly scooping her into his strong arms. She was terribly pale, though Kenpachi hadn't been sure if it was from blood loss or dark surprise.

She moaned weakly, trying to flail around in his grip. The thin, jade green t-shirt she had been wearing was absorbing her blood faster, as it was already wet from the rain and her sweat. He could see the slice was not nearly as tragic as he had first imagined. The jagged wound on her face though, running from below her hairline to her nose, was worry some.

She shivered, keeping her eyes tightly closed before she finally answered, "Yes." Kenpachi had not tried to hide his surprise. Fine? Was this woman crazy? Then again, he had sustained injuries that looked worse than they actually were. Head wounds always bled a lot.

"Stand then," he told her, as he loosened his grip. He had to give her credit; she had actually attempted to stand. Her back was hunched, but she was sort of upright. As she tried to take a step, her knees gave way and she almost fell face-first onto the pavement. Kenpachi grabbed the exposed waistband of her black pants, pulling her backward so that she landed gently in his lap.

This time she groaned, allowing her damp head to fall against his shoulder. She was paler than before, which was significant given her already fair complexion.

"No, you're not," he told her gruffly. "We're going for help." He tore off the bottom half of her shirt, as well as a strip of his own, wrapping it tightly around the wound.

"No! No help," she mumbled. Ignoring her protests, he stood up, supporting her back and legs as he began walking swiftly in the direction of the nearest clinic.

"Hey, this fight isn't over yet," the thing on the sidewalk, insisted, as he tried to pull himself up.

"It is," Kenpachi had told him. He could see why she had looked at Nnoitra with such pity; he only operated on pure instinct, like some sort of beast. Nnoitra didn't fight because it was fun. He fought for an outdated survival. "You don't want to fight me."

He continued moving forward as if Nnoitra were nothing more than dirt. Nnoitra made a bad decision in grabbing the hem of his pants as he passed, but Kenpachi stepped on his arm until it broke with a crack like a gunshot. Nnoitra passed out.

The Kurosaki family ran the nearest clinic. It was late, but he had no problem rousing the father from bed to come and assist him. He wasn't saving Nel out of affection; he just wanted her well enough to fight her, learn her technique. It would have been a damn shame to leave her for the gangly Nnoitra to finish her off. At least, that's what he told himself for a long time.

"What's your name girl?" Kenpachi had asked as he walked along. It was been important that he kept her talking.

"Nel," she whispered.

"Just Nel?"

"No, Nelliel Tu O..." Her voice had drifted off. Deciding that it was time to hurry, he ran the remaining blocks and was able to get her the care she needed.

The family's only son, Ichigo, answered the door, his face set in its usual scowl. Kenpachi had seen him around the neighborhood; nice kid, always standing up for someone.

"What do you think you're-"Ichigo stopped his question as soon as his eyes fell on Nel. "What did you do to her?" he demanded as he opened the door wide enough for Kenpachi's large form to pass through comfortably.

"What do you mean, what I did? I saved her." Ichigo began flipping on lights as they headed for an examination room. "She was fighting some gawky guy in an alley."

"Nnoitra," Ichigo growled. Then he was familiar with Nel's attacker? It made Kenpachi wonder how often this happened. "Just put her on that table. I'll grab my father." Ichigo was looking green. Kid couldn't stomach injuries, which struck Kenpachi as odd considering his family's business.

He shrugged and set her down on the cool, clean surface. Her eyes flickered under the harsh light. Outside, in the dim lighting and rain, her wound had not appeared as bad. Now that he had her inside, it looked fairly serious.

"Woman," he said, shaking her shoulder, "Nel." She groaned and moved her arms around a bit. Kenpachi wasn't a medical man in the slightest, so he had no idea if he was helping or hurting. Warm hazel eyes opened slightly, before she shut them again and groaned.

"What happened?" She reached a slender hand up, scraped and bruised from her punches, to touch her face. There was blood on her fingers. It was a stark contrast to her fair skin.

Kenpachi grunted. "Your opponent had no idea what honorable means." To his surprise, she laughed, low and gently.

"He wouldn't. He's a sadist." Before either of them could say much else, Isshin Kurosaki made his presence known, albeit in a rather silly manner. Nel laughed at some of his antics, sounding more like a child than before. It reminded him a little of Yachiru's laugh.

"I guess if she is able to laugh at my jokes, she is not as bad off," Isshin smiled. Kenpachi wasn't sure he had the same faith. "But I would still prefer her to go to the hospital." Kenpachi agreed to accompany her, instead of Ichigo who had school in the morning.

Nel was eventually released that night with only stitches. The cut to her abdomen had been very superficial. The gash in her face looked frightening, but doctors had assured her that it would heal perfectly. They were surprised that she didn't have any other head trauma with a strike like that. Details were fuzzy, but it was difficult to tell if that was from the wound or the medication.

She found that she couldn't recall the exact details of Nnoitra's attack. It was blurry except for Kenpachi waking her up in the Kurosaki clinic. She felt that she owed him her life. If he had not been there, she would have probably died.

"Thank you," she told him as he carried her down the street on his back. They were heading to the bus stop. She didn't have any family or relatives to call at this hour. Her godparents, Pesche and Dondo, were probably worried. They were two corporate servants by day and two of the drag nightclub scene's most popular performers by night. She loved them like brothers, albeit strange ones.

He grunted, "It was nothing." To Kenpachi, it really had been nothing. If he had just left her, Nnoitra would have probably killed her, even though she was the clear champion.

"I want to do something for you."

"No. Just stay alive."

"Please, anything," Nel had insisted. She owed this man so much. She doubted most citizens would have helped her as he had. Accompanying her to the hospital had been above and beyond. Nel had not wanted to fight Nnoitra at all. Things had never come to physical blows before that night. If only she had figured out some clever way to get away from him.

"No."

"Please." She squeezed his neck slightly. It seemed that she was just as stubborn as he was. In that case, she would probably be more trouble if he denied her help. He rolled his eyes as he considered something she could help with, but not actually be in the way. Yachiru.

"How are you with kids?" He turned his head enough to glance at her hazel eyes. Her eyes were large and childlike, though an old shadow lurked behind them.

Yachiru wouldn't be afraid of Nel's face, just as she wasn't afraid of her adopted father's. Yachiru had more or less adopted Zaraki when he had found her crawling in the alley in a bad part of town. Though his face had looked like it had gone through a grinder, the little girl found him amusing. His friend Yumichka had found a way for him to adopt her legally. In fact, Yumi and another close friend were babysitting her tonight.

"I am good with kids," she nodded briefly.

"Since you're not going to let this go, I need a babysitter."

"I can do it. I won't let you down."

"We'll see." Kenpachi had no idea what he was getting himself into with that decision.


	2. 1

The trouble had started when Kenpachi, Yachiru, and Nelliel were out and about town. Nelliel was holding Yachiru's hand, their arms swinging back and forth, as they made their way down the sidewalk. Kenpachi was walking on the other side of Nelliel. The sidewalk never seemed crowded when the three of them went out on weekends, as people tended to avoid Kenpachi, whether they knew him or not.

At 6'6", Zaraki Kenpachi was an imposing fellow. Very few people were able to stand up to him, one of those being his adopted daughter, Kusajishi Yachiru. The other was his baby sitter, who was currently entertaining Yachiru.

They had been returning from the movies, which had been a reward for Yachiru at the beginning of summer break. She had done very well in school, so Nel had suggested a movie treat.

Kenpachi had been less than enthused about going to a children's movie, but he didn't want the girls venturing out alone either. After he had sort of saved Nel's life that night, he felt a little protective of her.

It was rather an odd story how he came to acquire a baby-sitter he realized, as he watched her laughing away at Yachiru tickling her. He loved a good fight as much as the next person did, probably more so, but only when the opponents were close in skill. But poor Nel had been the unfortunate victim in a unfair fight, when Kenpachi happened upon her one evening several years ago.

Nnoitra had disappeared after that night. Nel had never seen him again, which was good, as Kenpachi would have probably killed him on sight. He felt rather protective of her. Two years later, she still had a wicked scar mostly hidden beneath her bangs, from Nnoitra's dirty slice to her face.

It had been two short years since Kenpachi had enlisted Nel's help. He couldn't believe how time had flown. She had worked out better than Ikkaku and Yumi. Yachiru had taken to her right away, scars and all.

If Yachiru liked her, that was what Kenpachi found important. His daughter was a good judge of character. Nel was patient about playing dolls with her for hours, where Ikkaku had spent most of his time finding other things to do or Yumi had tried to change the dolls around to suit his perfectionist tastes.

Nel didn't mind playing her games, like dress up. Of course, Yumi had liked dress up too, but only when he was allowed his own rules. She had turned more into a nanny than just a temporary baby sitter.

Now that Yachiru attended school, Nel was around to help her with schoolwork as well. Kenpachi was so used to having her there; he briefly wondered what life had been like without her.

"Come on, Ken-chan!" Yachiru said as she grabbed his hand, trying to force him to skip down the sidewalk. He had glanced at Nel to see her trying to hide a laugh with her hand. He grunted but compromised for holding Yachiru's delicate fingers in his own.

It was a pretty day, rather warm. Both Nel and Yachiru were dressed for the summer season, in light cottons, and airy outfits. He found himself glancing at Nel's shapely legs, noting how her pale skin matched well with her jade colored romper. She rarely bared her legs, so it was a nice change.

There was nothing wrong with him taking a slight interest in her tastes in clothing occasionally. There was a problem with him thinking about what she looked like without the romper. There was this one lacy number he had seen hanging in the laundry room one day after she had finished washing her delicates by hand. He was curious to know how the skimpy fabric covered her tantalizing flesh.

He had to drag his inappropriate thoughts away when he caught her glancing at him. As they made their way back to his house, Kenpachi noticed someone standing in the cool shade of the awning above the door. His grip tightened on Yachiru's hand as he squinted to see who it might be.

He spotted long, white hair before he recognized the familiar cough. Jushiro Ukitake. What on Earth, could he be standing outside the door for?

"Zaraki!" he called, waving them over. "Your neighbor thought you would be back soon." He had an infectiously charming personality. "And I see you have your family." Yachiru let go of his hand to shake Ukitake's. "Your daughter and wife." He shook Nel's hand as well.

Before Kenpachi could correct him, Ukitake continued. "I was just stopping by to invite you and your lovely family to the reunion next weekend." He placed an envelope in Kenpachi's unoffered hand. "I figured it would be better hand delivering it, so that I knew for sure you received it."

Another blazing smile. He was good at those. Could almost convince anyone to do anything. "Can't stay and chat though. Very busy." He coughed lightly. "Just RSVP to the number included inside." He shook their hands again before heading toward a waiting car.

"Zaraki-san?" Nel queried, as she unlocked the door to let them in the house. She tried to keep her emotions in check at being mistaken for Kenpachi's wife. She was just the hired help after all.

He grunted and mumbled something about not calling him something so formal, as he followed them into the comforting air conditioning.

"Nel-chan is my mother," Yachiru laughed.

"No, I'm not Yachiru, please do not say such things," Nel chided as they headed for the kitchen to give Kenpachi some thinking room. However, she allowed herself to indulge in a quick fantasy of actually being married to her boss. It was just a fantasy after all, as Kenpachi was not the marrying type of man.

Kenpachi knew that he should have spoken up and informed Ukitake he wasn't married. But there was almost a sick delight with the other gentleman believing Kenpachi was successful enough to have built a family.

"Zar-" Nel adjusted herself before she spoke so formally again, "Kenpachi-kun, about next weekend..."

"What about it?" He looked up, glaring. Nel knew it probably wasn't at her, but it was a little unsettling none the less.

"I can pretend to be your wife if you want." He blinked before his eyes roved her over several times.

"No, that would be asking too much." He didn't want to be her in debt. She had already done more than her fair share.

"I don't mind," she smiled. "I wouldn't want you to be embarrassed."

"I'm not," he grunted. "I will just tell them there was a misunderstanding. Fixed."

"Okay," she shrugged, hoping it would dispel the slight disappointment she was feeling. "Though," she added craftily, "I am sure some of your old comrades are married and successful. I'm sure there will be  
bragging..."

Kenpachi could see through her tactic, although he commended her for trying to undermine him. Could he do that though? But random images of his superiors being married to beautiful or famous women flooded his mind. It was low, but sometimes Kenpachi didn't like fairness.

"So I'll say again, I don't mind Kenpachi-kun. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." With an offhand wave, she joined Yachiru in the kitchen again, preparing a meal. Kenpachi was glad she had left the room, as he was feeling strange. Normally he would have gone into his practice room, grabbing a katana off the wall and hacking the air until he felt better.

Instead, his mind prompted several unbidden fantasies about Nel and the upcoming weekend. Things he found he wasn't entirely uncomfortable with. He shook the images out, as he tore open the envelope.

It seemed that old man Yamamoto wanted a reunion with his favorite students. Though Kenpachi had not gotten along very well with the old fart, he respected him. This would require some planning, which was not one of Kenpachi's favorite things. He would just put it off until necessary.

X

A few days had passed before Kenpachi spoke about the upcoming weekend. At work, he had been particularly vicious when chopping the meat up. Enough that Ikkaku finally said something.

"Uh, Boss?"

"What?" Kenpachi barked, being sure to stick his knife in the cutting board with enough force to bend the metal slightly.

"Something wrong?"

"No."

"Then could you not chop the meat as you have been?" Kenpachi knew Ikkaku would duck, so he threw a knife at the door.

"How unattractive," Yumi commented as he stepped through the door a second or two later to collect Ikkaku and head home. Tonight, Kenpachi would have to do something about the impending problem.

At home, Nel was busy keeping Yachiru entertained. That's exactly what he paid her to do. He wasn't sure why he was thinking about Nel now, in a manner of which he was unaccustomed. Kenpachi was not much of a marrying man. Sure he liked women okay, and had even had a few one-night stands over the years. He just didn't see himself getting married.

Some of his former colleagues had called to find out as to whether Kenpachi and his wife would be there or not. Some had mentioned they were bringing their wives too and there would be no problem. A couple of years ago, Kenpachi would have proudly stated that he would be along with his adopted daughter. He liked being left alone.

Instead, it seemed the pride bug had bitten him and his mouth had written off a check he wasn't sure he could cash. He said he and his wife would be there with his daughter, when he called to confirm his presence. He knit his eyebrows together, wondering how he could get himself out of trouble.

As he studied her, watching her dancing around with Yachiru to some radio station they were both fond of, he realized how much she had matured. It wasn't that she had been a teenager when he had saved her. Her light-hearted attitude made people perceive her younger than she was. Kept her young.

Nel was a very pretty girl, one that anyone would be proud to have for a wife. She had volunteered of course….

Nelliel could feel Kenpachi's stern green eyes on her, which took half of her attention away from Yachiru. She was lucky today, as if she didn't give Yachiru her full attention, the little girl was predisposed to take advantage of her and play a mean trick.

It had happened before. But that didn't make Nel like the little girl any less. She loved Yachiru as if she were her own daughter.

But this reunion was bothering Kenpachi. Nel had spent enough time around him to know when something was quietly eating him away from the inside. He wasn't much on sharing his feelings or confiding in her, or anyone for that matter. It was just his nature. He wanted to handle things on his own strength or die trying.

From the time Kenpachi had saved her life, Nel had fallen head over heels for him. There was something in the big man with which she felt a kindred spirit. But she knew that he didn't see her that way, didn't see anyone that way. He was stingy with emotions.

The way he was staring at her, Nel guessed it was something to do with her proposal the other day.

"Seaweed," Yachiru prompting her from her thoughts with one of her nicknames. Nel stopped mid-dance to see that the little girl was wearing her smile reserved only for when her father wanted something.

"What?"

"Ken-chan wants you." Yachiru never called Kenpachi her 'father,' always by some nickname. Nel guessed she didn't see Kenpachi as her father exactly, because he only was in the legal sense of the word. She pointed across the room where Kenpachi was resting, feet propped up on a nearby chair.

"Oh okay then." She dropped her arms that she had been waving, feeling a little silly. She adjusted her t-shirt, which had risen up to expose her navel. Nel was a little self-conscious about anyone seeing the scar across her waist. There wasn't much she could do about her face. The doctors had said it would heal without a trace. Right.

"Sit," Kenpachi told her, gesturing to the nearby couch. She brushed a few dolls out of her way and grabbed the edge.

"Sir, if this is about my job-"He scowled and let loose with a big booming laugh.

"Your job? No. This is about the proposal." Nel's pulse quickened. All sorts of naughty images paraded through her head about what he meant. She gave herself a mental slap on the wrist though, as he was her boss in a way. Not to mention she was Yachiru's father, in a manner of speaking.

"Okay," she nodded, wondering what he had decided.

"I've thought about it."

"And?"

"I've only thought about it." She felt a small wave of frustration crash through her. "Just thought I would tell you."

"Okay." She tried not to grind her teeth together. He was just playing a game with her. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She stood up and headed back into the kitchen to help Yachiru, as the little girl was practically starving after expending so much energy.

From his vantage spot, he could only see Nel as she retrieved some vegetables from the bottom drawer of his refrigerator. With the shorts she was wearing, nothing was left to the imagination. Her legs always looked so soft, if only he cou-

With an angry grunt, he broke his own line of thoughts, heading for the practice room. Nel was laughing at something, the sound girlish and tinkling. Kenpachi snatched his favorite, most battered piece off the wall and began carving up imaginary enemies.

Normally, he would begin smiling and laughing as he taunted them until their imaginary deaths. But tonight, he was silent save for a few grunts or huffs. The bells in his liberty spiked hair tinkled with each movement, succeeding and drawing his attention back to the woman he was trying to forget. Eventually he ended up sitting in the middle of the floor, trying not to move until dinner was ready.

Nel had watched the last few moves of his battle. Dinner had been ready for a few minutes and she had come to fetch him but found herself mesmerized.

Kenpachi always looked like he would be more at home on a battlefield, covered in the blood, hacking away at the enemy. It had been a long time since she had caught him working so furiously. It should have frightened her, that he was sometimes quite violent. But it didn't. In fact, he was more handsome fighting.

"Kenpachi-kun?" She kept a safe distance while he was still holding the sword. He didn't turn around, but acknowledged her with a tilt of his head.

"What?" His voice was gruffer, his breathing a little heavier.

"Dinner is ready if you're hungry." Yachiru appeared at her side with all of the force of a hurricane.

"Come eat Ken-chan!" She took off down the hallway once more.

"I'll be there in a moment." Nel started to leave, but Kenpachi called her name.

"Yes?"

"Fine."

"Fine what?" She didn't dare hold her breath.

"We'll go with your idea for the proposal."

"Good."

"But on some conditions." He had planned to go with her idea anyway. He had just wanted her to squirm a little bit.

"Conditions?"

"Yes. Pesche and Dondo are left out." Nel nodded. She hadn't planned on involving them. "Yumi gets to help you pack." Kenpachi figured it would be only a matter of time before Yumi knew anyway. Nel tried not to groan. Yumi was nice, but he preferred things his way.

"Anything else?"

"One more thing."

"What?"

"You have to start sleeping in my bedroom."


	3. 2

Nel tried to control her facial expression at Kenpachi's blunt demand. Sleep in his bed? Rationally, she knew that it would be expected of them to at least share a room this upcoming weekend. It would look funny if Kenpachi's wife requested her own room.

"Starting tonight," he added. Why not add more to his already nearly impossible demand. She felt a few beads of mild panic begin under her bangs.

Before the weekend rolled around? Was he just playing one of his games? Sure she had her own room at his house to watch Yachiru full time. She had moved out of Pesche and Dondo's apartment about six months after she had begun caring for Yachiru. It was easier than commuting.

"Alright, agreed," Nel told Kenpachi coolly, her voice holding no trace of the anxiety she was feeling. There really wasn't any need for her fears. Kenpachi was about as likely to fall in love with her as Ichigo was. She stopped the tumbling visions of Kenpachi glancing at her night clothes, brushing against her 'accidently' while sleeping, being held in his arms...

Nel had her own room, right next to Yachiru's, so that she would be close should the little girl need her. It wasn't much, just a bed, a bookshelf, a tiny dresser, and a small desk. The one or two formal outfits she owned were hung in Yachiru's closet.

When Yachiru was younger, Nel even let her play dress up with them. Why not? It wasn't like she had any real use for them. Sometimes Dondo and Pesche lent her retired outfits and makeup from their shows as well for Yachiru to have fun playing with.

While Nel would have loved to involve her godfathers, she wouldn't break her word to Kenpachi. Although, it seemed that letting them help her quietly behind Yumi's back would be a better option.

She was dreading future time spent with Yumi helping her pick out something for her pretend marriage to Kenpachi. Marriage, it was such a permanent word that it seemed funny to be thinking of it as pretend.

"What about Yachiru?" Nel asked.

"What about her?" He turned and addressed the far end of the house. "Twerp!" Yachiru, who had been listening in appeared again. It seemed that Yachiru got the nicknaming business from her father. To outsiders, it would seem his terms of endearment for his daughter was skewed and cruel, but for Nel it was obvious the affection he had for her.

"Yes Ken-chan?" She beamed as she climbed into his lap.

"Nel-san is sleeping in my room." Nel thought for sure that Yachiru would ask questions but instead the little girl just kept smiling, as if she knew something they didn't.

"Okay." She pinched Kenpachi's cheek and took off again. If anyone else had tried that, Kenpachi would have probably killed him or her on the spot.

"There. Settled?"

"Yes." Her insides were saying no.

"Fine. Continue on. I'll be there in a second." Before Kenpachi could ask anything else of her, Nel hurried back to the kitchen for a quick breather.

"Set the table Yachiru," Nel instructed. Kenpachi sat down at the table, but Nel didn't glance in his direction.

To Kenpachi, it seemed that she was avoiding him. He watched her scuttling around the kitchen in more a fluster than usual. He didn't understand women. What was the big deal about sharing a bed with him? It wasn't as if he had any odd habits, was it?

Or was it something more? Did she have some horrible secret that she was ashamed of? Was it something about her body? As far as he was concerned, she had no reason to hate herself. Women, always finding some make-believe thing wrong with themselves.

Whatever it was, he would see it tonight.

He sighed as he leaned back in the chair. Even for a woman, Nel was odd. He wondered if that blow to her head all those years ago had caused some kind of damage.

"Are you hungry Ken-chan?" Yachiru asked as she set a plate in front of him. Being a butcher, Kenpachi always brought home the best cuts. Usually Nel was fairly proficient in the kitchen, but tonight it didn't escape Kenpachi's notice that the vegetables and the chicken were burned on one side.

"Sure," he answered. Food was food and Kenpachi wasn't picky. He noticed a large band-aid on Nel's finger. She must have hurt herself while cooking. Had she been that disturbed by their conversations? Why?

But Kenpachi recalled his frustration with his sudden notice in her female form and her airy laugh. His workout had not been as gratifying as it normally was.

"Kenpachi-kun, you're bleeding," Nel pointed out to him as she brought her plate over to the table.

"Huh?" He glanced down to see the sleeve of his practice robe was cut and crimson was starting to drip on the nicked tabletop. Before he could tend the wound himself, Nel had fetched the first aid kit and was doctoring what was a minor flesh wound.

"Always prepared," Nel told him cheerfully. Yachiru had gone through a period of daredevil stunts and was always scraping something. Out of habit, Nel had responded to the injury. Her hands were soft and delicate as she cleansed the wound with mild antiseptic before sealing it with gauze. He had not been close enough to notice them in some time.

He hadn't even noticed the sting of cleansing. His skin tingled everywhere she had touched. Kenpachi realized she probably had no idea what exactly her simple, deft movements caused in him. He kept his eyes trained on her back as she put the kit away and washed her hands.

"Ken-chan should be more careful," Yachiru admonished as she tore a chicken strip and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Yachiru, remember your manners," Nel corrected from the sink. Dinner was quieter than usual. Yachiru wolfed down the burned chicken strips without any complaint. Nel found that she was too nervous to be hungry. The unappetizing food added further to her misery. It wasn't the worst meal Kenpachi had ever had, and he kept from making any comment.

"Bath time Yachiru," Kenpachi instructed as he and Nel cleaned up dinner. She made kissy noises at them but left the room.

"I'm sorry I ruined dinner," Nel said quietly as she prepared to scrub the dishes.

"Dinner was fine." No one could top Yachiru's cooking experiment the year before. Some of the bowls still held telltale stains of strange ingredients she had 'expertly' mixed with non-cooking materials. "At least it wasn't glue this time." That earned a chuckle and a smile out of her.

"Fair enough. I will start teaching Yachiru how to properly prepare a meal soon."

"Fine. Just make sure she realizes that glue is not an ingredient." She laughed again. "What happened here?" he asked, pointing to the bandage.

"I was careless with the vegetables." In fact, Yachiru had pointed out the fact that her finger was not a carrot before she severed it. Luckily, it was only a trivial wound, but it burned and throbbed  
regardless. The soapy water was bleeding through her bandage.

"Move," Kenpachi told her as he commanded control of the sink. He tossed a hand rag at her and took over dish duty. She was almost too fast for him to catch, always adjusting things before he had a chance. He should have started the dishes to begin with.

She took a seat on the counter between the sink and the dish drainer. At this height, she was nearly as tall as he was.

"Kenpachi-kun, what does this Yamamoto-san mean to you?" If he could avoid it, Kenpachi never talked about the past. He grunted and but made no other reply. Just when Nel figured he wouldn't answer her, he finally said something.

"He was a commander from a long time ago." Longer than Kenpachi cared to admit. "We were a group of his best captains. A special division. Hush-hush type thing." Until several of their number had betrayed their secrets. So much bloodshed during those years... wonderful blood and pain...

The old man hadn't cared that Kenpachi didn't have a real name. He was a good fighter, rough around the edges but that didn't matter. He was a good leader too, despite not having the same background as everyone else. He hadn't entered the ranks with a test, but rather on sheer force alone...

"Zaraki-san?" she asked, hoping to shake him from the trance he had entered into. His facial expression had changed from slightly menacing to dread. He stopped washing the dishes, just staring off into a distance she wasn't a part of.

"Don't call me that," he finally said, shaking his head so that the bells chimed. He stole a glance out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't zone out in the middle of a story then," she teased. "But is that the end?" she asked more thoughtfully.

"That's as much as I can tell you without having to kill you." It took her a moment to realize he was kidding. Sometimes, he had moods where it was nearly impossible to distinguish.

"No funny," she told him. "You're about as funny as Ikkaku-kun. But is that all there is to the story?"

"That's all you get." It wasn't much, but it was more than he was used to sharing. How funny, both of them had pasts they couldn't share or didn't want to share.

Nel couldn't remember parts of her past either, after the incident with Nnoitra. Truthfully, there hadn't been that much to remember.

She sometimes dreamed about strange people and places that she thought she should know, but couldn't recall ever meeting or visiting them. There was always a man with a not-so-sincere smile. Sometimes, when she was younger, she would say or do something that would make Pesche and Dondo exchange strange looks. As if there were some great secret about her, they were keeping.

"Ken-chan, all finished," Yachiru announced from the living room. "Come watch a movie with me!"

"Alright Brat, I'll be there in a minute."

"Not fast enough Ken-chan!" She ran in the kitchen and tried to move him from the sink. Surprisingly, he budged slightly.

"I ought to wash you with the dishes." He picked her up easily and set her on the other side of the counter.

"I can take over," Nel suggested. A little pain was nothing.

"No, Yachiru can help dry them. Go ahead and shower if you want." Knowing better than to argue with him, Nel let herself off the counter and headed for her room to grab her nightclothes.

As she glanced around her room, Nel felt a sense of loss. She was just spending the week and weekend in his bed and then their lives would be back to normal. But when she returned, she would be different. This was probably how a bride felt on her last day of being a single woman.

Before she could think of anything else, Nel grabbed her clothing and headed for the shower for a bit of think time without immense spiky bosses and diminutive pink haired girls.

Meanwhile, Kenpachi was listening with half of ear to Yachiru's questions.

"Ken-chan, do you love Nel-chan?" Kenpachi about broke the plate he was holding.

"You have no business asking that!" She pouted, puffing her cheeks out like a hamster. She looked like she was going to spit at him, which was a common problem. Ikkaku could attest first hand to the power of her spit.

"Aw Ken-chan, I just wanted to know." She could push her bottom lip out pretty far. It never ceased to amaze him. Sometimes he and Ikkaku would take bets on how many things she could store on it. "Are you going to get married?"

"Don't be stupid."

"I'm not being stupid, you're being stupid."

"Why am I stupid?"

"If you have to ask," she rolled her eyes, "then you're the stupid one." She stuck out her tongue.

"Yachiru," he growled. She hopped off the counter again, spinning out of his reach.

"Movie Ken-chan. I want Nel-chan too."

"She's busy. I'm busy with these dishes. You could help." He held out the drying rag to her.

"No," she told him cheerfully, as she disappeared into the living room. He uttered a low growl, ready to break the dish in his hand. Good thing it was just the three of them, which cut down on the amount of work to do.

Without Yachiru's distraction, Kenpachi was left with his own thoughts. He didn't want them though, so he tried to concentrate on battle strategies, or old memories of his life before the two troublesome women entered it.

"Um Kenpachi-kun?" He heard Nel ask from the doorway. How had she snuck up on him like that? Good thing he didn't have a knife or something. "You've been washing the same dish for a while." Had he? He glanced down to see the same floral design of Yachiru's favorite plate still in his hands. His fingers were wrinkled and slightly pale from the water.

During her shower, Nel had taken time to focus on keeping herself in perfect control. This meant nothing. She would do it for anyone. Wouldn't she? Somehow, she couldn't picture herself doing this for Ichigo though.

Kenpachi took notice of how her wet hair curled around her bared shoulders. Had she always worn a camisole to sleep in? The black material emphasized the fair hue of her skin and the pastel of her hair. Her legs were covered in a worn out pair of matching exercise pants, but he could still trace the faint outlines of lean muscle beneath the fabric.

She was just watching him with those resplendent hazel eyes. It was increasingly difficult to pay attention to her velvety lips and even more importantly, what words they were forming.

"I'm going to go keep Yachiru company and will put her to bed Kenpachi-kun," Nel was telling him. By the time Kenpachi shook himself free of his entrancement, Nel was gone as well, leaving him alone in the kitchen.

He hurried though the dishes, not really caring if they were completely clean or not. When he finally arrived in the living room, Yachiru was asleep in Nel's lap.

"Shh, don't wake her," Nel told him softly as she brushed some of Yachiru's bubble-gum pink hair out of her face. Whatever Yachiru had picked to watch was long over and Nel had turned it to some kind of comedy show.

"I'll put her to bed." Kenpachi reached under Yachiru, brushing Nel's legs in the process. He thought he detected the faintest hint of blush in her cheeks. Though Yachiru was close to becoming a teenager, she still acted like a child sometimes.

Kenpachi was sure that was his influence as well. He was just a big kid at heart when you stripped away all of his menace and killing instinct. But, he felt that fun was the most important part of a life well-lived. And he wanted Yachiru to have as much fun as she pleased.

She stirred slightly and mumbled something about 'pinball head' before he tucked her in and left the room. Nel was sitting almost in the same spot as when he had left her. Only now she had a book and had turned off the television. She looked so wrapped up in her book, he decided he would finally go and take his shower.

When he returned later, Nel was still holding her book, but her head was tilted forward in sleep. Kenpachi assumed she was exhausted from Yachiru's seemingly boundless energy.

Kenpachi wasn't sure he should just pick her up and head for the bedroom or if she would try to wake her. Taking her feelings into consideration, Kenpachi shook her shoulder in an effort to wake her.

"Woman," he said. Next thing he knew his arm was throbbing and Nel was looking very startled.

"Oh! I am so sorry Kenpachi-kun!" He rubbed the easily visible red spot on his arm. It would probably bruise over later.

"Sorry? That's a hell of a punch," he laughed. She looked extemely flustered. Did she want him to be mad? Since that night in the alley, he had not seen her fighting style again.

"I didn't hurt you?"

"No, not even close."

"Did you need me for something?"

"I thought you might be more comfortable in the bed."

"Oh, okay." Nel was too tired to care whether it was her bed or his. She untangled herself from the couch, setting her book on the end table. In the whole two years she had worked for Kenpachi, Nel had only been in his room a handful of times. It always surprised her with its starkness. He had just enough space for his queen sized bed and a table beside the bed. He kept the room rather simple and dark, with solid bed coverings and a lack of wall decoration.

"Which side?" he asked as he discarded his t-shirt. Her heart thumped harder a few seconds. She forgot how muscled he really was.

"Don't you need a shirt on?" she asked, lowering her eyes.

"I can't sleep with a shirt on." She could see his fingers heading for the waistband of his pants.

"Don't tell me you're going to take off your pants too!"

"What? Not afraid of some skin are you?"

"No," Nel snapped.

"You never answered me which side."

"I don't care."

After a brief consideration, Nel chose the left side facing the closet he probably never used.

"Good night," she told him as she curled up under the sheets, trying to make herself as small as possible so there was no accidental brushing against him. Everything smelled like his particular brand of hair care products and deodorant. Trying to appear inconspicous, she took a deep breath of it.

"Night." He seemed far more comfortable on the other side, even spread out a little on top of the comforter, his hands resting on his muscled abdomen. Within minutes he was snoring lightly.

Nel rolled her eyes, feeling restless now that she had taken a brief nap. She listened for a long time to his rhythmic breathing, allowing it to finally lull her to sleep.


End file.
